OUTLIVING GENERATIONS

Abstract

This essay aims to contextualize the debate of urban spaces experiencing cultural, social, political and economic changes in the East African region. With different population groups utilizing these spaces they become contested sites in the continued production of cultural knowledge, regional mutuality, and representation. In order to substantiate this argument, urban centres as nodal points for global networks promoting cosmopolitan lifestyles are seen to attract a growing number of youth musicians. In the fluid urban atmosphere, these youth musicians purposely beam their compositions beyond local geographies to avoid being muted or muffled since musical identity creates for them a subculture and creative space within which they thrive. Central to this drive given the historical musical past is the Kiswahili language. Contemporary modified Kiswahili sung music from Dar-es Salaam or Bongo Flava, distinctly articulates ensembles of class and power, while being embraced across all ethnic, religious, gender, socio-economic, age and political divides in the East African region. It is argued that shifting, any musical brand within the region, demands selected acclaimed musicians acquiring broadened felicity in music. Consequently, differences exist, in these translocational movements that reflect individual artists’ styles, but which find space and meaning in borrowing and modification. By focussing on the emergence of youth musicians as agent involved in the construction of glocalized spaces the discussion situates the collective ability of youth as artists in taking advantage of opportunities in urban settings and appropriating spaces by the creation of a transversal urban cultural identity. The overriding quest for self-identity through labels and language by youth artists provides continual analysis into their metaphorically, African ‘brewed’ music as a partial solution in the deconstruction of obsessive-ness with Western domination and idols in music thus mapping out a future for regional musical artists.

Keywords:

• East Africa
• culture
• urban sites
• youth
• music
• identity
• modernity
• language
• globalization

Notes

1. In this discussion the definition of Culture is influenced by John Clarke, Stuart Hall. Tony Jefferson and Brian Roberts (Hall and Jefferson 1976).

2. See the paper by Kirkegaard (2002).

3. Tanzania tunawakilisha – these words can be translated to mean, ‘Tanzania we are present’ or ‘We represent Tanzania’.

4. Bungo Flava, mixes a whole blend of styles and influences from African American culture, combining with the music styles such as African Jazz, Salsa, Taraab and Soukouss.

5. Comments from, http://www.fly.co.uk/fly/archives/2004/10/who's _who_who_in_bongo_flava.html

6. The Kisima awards were introduced to motivate musicians within the three East African countries and have been an important career launch pad and platform for many Tanzanian youth musicians. In an interview held in Nairobi, 2005, after receiving his awards TID's message to his Kenyan fans was, ‘I love you all, you have made me what I am and will not stop loving and giving you music’, Sunday Nation 10 July, 2005, p. 3.

7. These words contained in an interview with, Caroline Nyanga reported in The Standard, PULSE, 1 April, 2005.